The camera crashed onto Zhou Xufang, causing her to fall backward. Her hand slammed into the camera stand, ripping a long gash.
Immediately, she used her hand to cover the wound, and blood seeped through her fingers.
When the accident happened, it was break time. Jiang Zhi had already finished drinking a can of milk. He was quite far away and couldn't hear the commotion, feeling lethargic as he rested with his eyes closed.
Vice Director Zhao came over, hesitated for a moment, but then stepped forward to call out: "Director Jiang."
Jiang Zhi lifted his eyelids slightly. The sun had just emerged from behind the clouds, not harsh but still somewhat glaring. He raised his hand to block the light.
Ah Wan immediately stood by, using his strong body to shield his employer from the sun.
Vice Director Zhao said, "Fourth Miss Ming and Yu Ran are having an argument."
Everyone in the circle knew that Fourth Miss Ming had taken a fancy to Director Jiang's looks, and Yu Ran had a bit of a playboy reputation. These two were rivals in love.
However—
Jiang Zhi showed little interest: "Did it escalate to a fight?"
"No, not really," Vice Director Zhao replied honestly. "Just a background actor got pushed and got slightly injured." But anyway, it was a case of the beautiful man causing trouble.
Jiang Zhi, possibly tired, massaged his brows with some irritation, appearing somewhat impatient: "Send the person to the hospital."
Vice Director Zhao nodded and then asked for further instructions: "What about Fourth Miss Ming and Yu Ran?"
Those two flowers were not ordinary ones; they were popular figures in the industry. Especially Fourth Miss Ming, who was quite a domineering flower. If not handled well, Weibo could even crash.
"Page eight, clause nine of the contract."
Director Jiang was strictly business-like.
Page eight, clause nine of the contract—on the filming set, in the case of non-force majeure delays, Party B must pay ten times the compensation for delay.
Vice Director Zhao understood.
"Too noisy."
Ah Wan glanced at his employer, who was lying on his side with visible displeasure between his brows. His lips were a very light red, pressed into a straight line. Honestly, the expression was quite harsh, but his employer was good-looking, making even such an expression rather pleasing to the eye.
Knowing that his brain wasn't as useful as his fists, Ah Wan stepped forward and asked: "Should I chase them out?"
The employer didn't respond, covered his mouth and coughed twice, got up, and headed to the lounge. He walked slowly, pausing every three steps to catch his breath, slightly hunched due to discomfort. From behind, the exposed part of his neck was strikingly pale.
What did this mean? Should he chase them out or not? Ah Wan thought for a moment and decided to take a bathroom break first.
Because the female lead had a clash with the female lead of the neighboring crew, filming was paused. Fang Lixiang had already removed her makeup; her bare, youthful face was radiant. Having been promoted to a "Weaver," the makeup artist sister specifically asked her to change clothes in an independent dressing room. After changing, she couldn't find Zhou Xufang and didn't know where the stage manager had taken her.
Fang Lixiang grabbed a background actress and asked: "Have you seen Xu Fang?"
The background actress asked in return: "Who's Xu Fang?"
Zhou Xufang wasn't fast to warm up to people, had a cold demeanor, and mild social anxiety. Apart from Fang Lixiang, she basically didn't talk to anyone.
Even though she had known Zhou Xufang for several months, Fang Lixiang didn't have her phone number. Zhou rarely brought her phone out and hardly used WeChat, like a caveman.
Fang Lixiang described Zhou "the Caveman" to the background actress: "Hair this long, very fair skin, pretty, often wears a hat, with a somewhat disheveled vibe."
The background actress was confused.
Fine, Zhou Xufang's presence in the crew was almost zero. Fang Lixiang clarified: "The one who just got injured."
"Oh, she went to the lounge to bandage her wound."
The crew had only four lounges: one for the male lead, one for the female lead, one common room, and one exclusive for the director. The stage manager, seeing Zhou Xufang injured and refusing to go to the hospital, placed her in the lounge and specifically instructed her to use the common lounge.
At this time, the lounges were mostly occupied, with only one empty.
In the corridor, occasional coughs echoed.
"Jiang Zhi."
A woman's tone was cheerful, her steps eager.
Ahead, Jiang Zhi turned around slowly, seeing the visitor: "When did you get discharged?"
Yesterday, Xue Baoyi had thrown this woman into the sea for him. She was still in the hospital last night and now bouncing back so quickly.
Ming Saiying wasn't angry at all, smiling as she replied: "Today."
To be fair, Ming Saiying wasn't bad in many aspects. The Ming family was a well-known building materials business in the Imperial City. She was a late-born child, very much doted upon at home, with striking looks: a curvaceous figure, almond eyes, and cherry lips. Although she lacked acting skills, she thrived in the entertainment circle. But—
Her brain wasn't the best, quite stubborn.
Jiang Zhi glanced at her and said: "You didn't drink enough seawater."
"..."
Ming Saiying, actually a fiery personality, lost her temper around Jiang Zhi. Dressed in a palace empress costume, she obediently apologized: "I acted impulsively in that incident; I apologize." She promised, "In the future, I'll be straightforward and honest in pursuing you, no more tricks."
Why did she like Jiang Zhi?
The reason was simple; he was very good-looking. Everyone loves beauty, so ever since she saw Jiang Zhi at a party two years ago, she couldn't stop thinking about his looks.
Jiang Zhi, facing her, maintained his perennial indifferent face: "I don't like women." He stated it matter-of-factly.
He came out as gay at eighteen.
Everyone in the circle knew he was genuinely gay. Heard he even couldn't get aroused while watching straight porn.
Ming Saiying pondered for a moment: "Then should I change my gender?"
Jiang Zhi's beautifully elaborate peach blossom eyes instantly turned icy cold. Whether out of exasperation at her shamelessness, he turned away, coughing severely.
"Cough, cough, cough, cough..."
His complexion was pale; his cheeks flushed large patches of red as he coughed, even his eye rims tinged with a blush, eyes misty.
Tut, tut, tut... So beautifully unreasonable.
Ming Saixing quickly rushed forward, wanting to help him ease his breathing.
Jiang Zhi stepped back, lifted his eyes, past Ming Saixing, and angrily shouted: "Where have you been?"
His gaze, cold as drizzling ice rain, struck with chilly precision. The tardy Ah Wan shivered: "I went to the bathroom."
He was having diarrhea today.
Jiang Zhi's patience had worn out: "Get her out of here." He ordered, cupping his mouth as he coughed, his neck turning red.
Ming Saiying felt heartbroken, quickly retreating: "Don't get angry, I'll leave on my own, leave on my own." She said, walking away reluctantly, looking back repeatedly.
Ah Wan thought for a moment and followed her.
Jiang Zhi, after catching his breath, pushed open the lounge door. By this time, it was already dark outside. The lounge was dim and barely visible. He groped for the light switch and, as he pressed it, a face suddenly appeared in his view without warning.
"Click."
The wind slammed the door shut.
Jiang Zhi's pupils slightly constricted: "Who are you?"
These eyes... He had seen them before. Excessively beautiful, yet cold, clear and bright, filled with world-weariness and despair, somehow shimmering.
The owner of the eyes didn't answer his question.
His gaze swept over her, landing on her bloodstained arm. Unexpectedly, a bloody hand covered his eyes.
He froze, as a girl's voice, as faint as smoke, whispered in his ear.
She said: "Don't look."
Her hand was healing, visibly strange to the naked eye. She hid from others and ducked into the lounge.
Skin-to-skin contact; he had just been coughing, his temperature still warm. Her hand, however, was cold as ice, covered in blood, the faint smell of blood wafting into his breaths.
Logically, he should have found it filthy, but he forgot to react. It took him a while to speak, but before he could make a sound, that smoky, ethereal voice whispered again.
"Don't call out. I won't hurt you."
Her blood-stained palm still covered his eyes, with only a sliver of light seeping through the fingers, casting a blood-colored hue, faintly tinged red.
Such a strong smell of blood.
Jiang Zhi took a step back and, almost simultaneously, grabbed her wrist, just about to push away when her elbow pinned him to the wall.
He couldn't catch his breath.
"Cough, cough, cough, cough..."
Coughing as if his lungs would come out.
Zhou Xufang heard his severe cough and immediately loosened her grip. One hand covered his eyes, while the other pressed on his shoulder. The wound on her arm had long scabbed over, but blood stained his body and face.
She could see he was ill, her strength barely light, but she became even gentler: "I'll leave when I finish bandaging. Don't call out, don't look, okay?"
Maybe he coughed too hard, feeling hot, he licked his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly: "No."
She frowned.
"Snap."
She turned off the light and almost simultaneously let go.
Jiang Zhi stood leaning against the wall, his senses filled with unfamiliar, irritating scents. With no light, he sought those eyes in the darkness: "What are you doing—"
Before he finished talking, his jaw was grasped. In his daze, someone approached, the cool scent of mint mixed with blood overwhelming him.
"Don't talk. If I use force, it will hurt a lot."
She was much stronger than a normal person. Just a gentle squeeze would cause him pain, possibly even break him. Zhou Xufang thought she had to be careful, avoid making him cry out.
Jiang Zhi's Adam's apple rolled again.
No other person, male or female, had ever been this close. The sheer intensity of her aura made him extremely uncomfortable; his jaw was still gripped, the icy touch penetrating his skin, the contrasts of cold and hot sending shivers through him.
He could even hear himself swallow: "Move, move away a bit."
Damn, I'm stuttering.
The other party stayed silent for a moment: "Okay."
She stepped back a little and thought for a moment before releasing his jaw. From her pocket, she fished out a bandage given by the stage manager, biting one end with her teeth and wrapping it single-handedly around her nearly healed wound.
The heavy breathing was Jiang Zhi's. He quietly regained his composure for a long time, discretely groping for the light switch. Just as he was about to press it, Zhou Xufang heard the sound and immediately grasped his hand.
Then came a subtle crack from bone.
Jiang Zhi gasped, his handsome face flushing white with pain.
She paused: "It seems dislocated."
She honestly didn't use much force, but being thirty times stronger than an ordinary person, she had injured him.